A wryly funny and moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye.

Teen idol at 15, international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-1970s Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood.

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Publisher's Summary

A wryly funny and moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye.

Teen idol at 15, international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-1970s Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood.

The Outsiders placed Lowe at the birth of the modern youth movement in the entertainment industry. During his time on The West Wing, he witnessed the surreal nexus of show business and politics, both on the set and in the actual White House. And in between are deft and humorous stories of the wild excesses that marked the 80s, leading to his quest for family and sobriety.

Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.

I say surprisingly brilliant, but I had seen the customer ratings and read a couple of reader reviews so it may not have been a total surprise.I bumped into Lowe's autobiography while browsing for 80s cinema related books on Amazon. Admittedly Lowe had never rated that highly on my radar, but I noticed it had a solid star rating and decided to investigate further. This was to be my first of many books here on Audible. It is my favorite audiobook so far, out of 10 or so, due to both excellent performance by Lowe as a narrator and his brilliant storytelling.Lowe tells us the story of his life so far, holds nothing back and seems to omit details only when it might otherwise hurt someone who is, or has been close to him. Lowe's pacing is great, he gives just enough detail to never become boring and somehow manages to make the ordinary events of his early life seem just as interesting as his later years as a movie star.

This wonderfully written story is fascinating and moving, often at the same time. I bought the audiobook as I didn't think I'd have time to read the print book any time soon (lots of other things to read!) and I'm glad I chose the audio version because hearing Rob read it, as well as his spot-on impressions of his co-stars and directors, is hugely entertaining. Even if you read the print book, you should get the audio just to hear him read it - it's that good.

One of the greats of the 1980's shares his career and personal life. A fantastic book, very well written with great lough out loud moments. Sit back and enjoy stories about The Outsiders, The West Wing, St Elmos Fire and my personal favourite Youngblood!Paul Aladjadjian - Sydney Australia

I have always avoided books written by celebrities (or ghost writers) . But this book.. I think it's a combination of Rob Lowe voice , the stories and the obvious passion for movies. Buy it, you will not regret it .

It wasn't a story of one person, it was a story about a range of characters that I could relate to. Rob Lowe was not arrogant at all, as I sometimes find in memoirs. I felt he was 'factually telling a story'.

What does Rob Lowe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As its a memoir, when I hear 'I' or 'my', I believe it. Also his character voices that he put on were able to assist me understand the different layers of people who we come across in life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me look at actors and other members of the film industry as humans, people and artists. I'll be getting the movies that he refers to in the book and watching from a different perspective.

Any additional comments?

Good on you Rob. I thought nothing of you before. Nothing positive, nothing negative. I now have a new found respect. Its warming.

If you could sum up Stories I Only Tell My Friends in three words, what would they be?

well, I can only agree with NY Times' review that "Throughout this book Mr. Lowe emerges as a canny observer of both himself and others, and as someone whose instincts have grown increasingly sharp over time."

What other book might you compare Stories I Only Tell My Friends to and why?

probably a ton of other biographies, which the Time Magazine reviewer did, with this one coming out on top.

Which character – as performed by Rob Lowe – was your favorite?

Lowe's reading his own stories, of course brought perfect intonation - which is something that's really crucial to my being more captivated than irritated when listening - but his mastery of accents & impersonations was a much appreciated bonus. just to pick one, his Bill Clinton was spot on!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

several, the narrative had me giggling as well as tearing up more than once, and without giving anything away I was very impressed with how Lowe portrayed his mother & his relationship with her.

Any additional comments?

for this admitted movie & TV-series buff, the fascinating descriptions of his work experiences prompted me to (re)discover Lowe's performances in "the Outsiders", "St. Elmo's Fire" & "About Last Night" (one of the most watched flicks in my VHS-library 8) as well as the pilot of "the West Wing", which all still held up to me - at least accompanied with this read ...

Rob Lowe tells a good collection of stories, written in a wry and unaggrandising way. The narration is memorable and includes good impersonations (Christopher Walken is one of my favourite examples). I was struck not only by the range of extraordinary people that Rob hobnobbed with - having been one of the most high-profile teen stars of the 1980s - but also by his circumspect way of recounting things, sometimes with years of hndsight. This book is time well spent because it's packed with interesting and often uncannily timed moments, offering intelligent insights into the pitfalls as well as the dazzling experience of fame. A pioneer of intelligent autobiographical writing about the "Brat Pack".

Really enjoyed this - very thoughtful, well-written and read, and gets the balance about right between respecting some confidences and telling you some of the more salacious details. As another reviewer has noted, the later years are covered in far less detail than the earlier ones - more on the West Wing years in particular would have been nice.

But I don't want to nitpick. Some audio books can feel a bit of a chore to return to but I always looked forward to getting back to this one. I hope he writes more.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

melanie

Saltburn by the Sea, United Kingdom

3/16/12

Overall

"Enjoyable"

Wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book, biography from birth to present or anecdotes? Rob Lowe just tells stories from his exciting life most of it about famous friends but also about his family. I really enjoyed this book and it was nice to hear the stories in Rob Lowes own voice. Sometimes it feels as if he is bragging and name dropping but i got past that and really got into to the telling of this book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

alexander

2/10/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Fun, insightful but no real gossip."

Any additional comments?

Rob describes his long climb to showbiz success in a highly descriptive fashion, this is very welcome particularly as he begins to breakthrough and we meet the "bratpack". There are some nice stories and i particularly enjoyed the depth of the background tales giving us detail on casting, off set and on set. As you would excpect the narration by the subject is faultless and indeed this is one of the cases where its perfectly read. I personally didnt know that much about Rob Lowe before but i feel i really do now, the great aspect is the introduction of so many other people in his story. Michael j Fox , estevez, Sheens etc, i now want to go and find there books to piece it all together.Really great story, if you like movies this will impress you.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Curvy Girl

Kent, United Kingdom

10/29/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Middle of the road"

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not really...it's just that the story wasn't as exciting and interesting as I hoped it would be.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I was rather relieved. The book was dull so it was nice to get to the end.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes - slow and dreary!

If this book were a film would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

I have always had a soft spot for Rob Lowe and although that hasn't changed after listening to this audiobook I am afraid I feel like this was a waste of a credit. The story was slow and Rob's voice unemotional and unfeeling. It was easy to switch off from listening, which is a shame as I wasn't expecting that.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Maxine

Co. Cork, Ireland

6/22/11

Overall

"Personal Stories Well Told!"

I thoroughly enjoyed this - my first autobiography. His stories are light-hearted in the main with the occasional 'heavy' moment. I would not have been a particular fan of his but having seen him interviewed about this book I thought I would give it a go for a change. His recollections of his fledgling career and the careers of his peers are entertaining and insightful in some cases. I would have liked more on his career currently but in the main I recommend this book - lovely sitting in the car listening to Rob Lowe telling me about his life!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loraine

Basildon, United Kingdom

6/16/11

Overall

"Loraine"

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and like the Michael Caine biography having the author narrate their work added greatly to my enjoyment. Mr. Lowe is easy on the ear (as well as the eye)! Whilst I loved Michael Caine's chuckles in his narration Rob Lowe's impersonations of other celebrities are quite excellent - Mr. Lowe may just have missed out on selling another of his not inconsequential talents.

Highly recommended

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Gordon

2/25/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"How wrong can one be?"

My perception was that this Rob Lowe had hidden shallows. On the contrary! What an insightful, thought provoking self effacing wonderful man. Mr Lowe lets the listener, with is own voice,(complete with impersonations) join us as he journeys through an initially troubled beginning but quickly to a crescendo of achievements, accolades and more importantly human fulfilment.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Lorna C.

10/9/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Couldn't press pause"

What made the experience of listening to Stories I Only Tell My Friends the most enjoyable?

Rob Lowe's voice is melting, listened to 7 hours in one day

What did you like best about this story?

I knew about Rob Lowe from 80's movies, but had no idea how early his career had started. Fascinating listening, I personally, love when the author reads the book to you, feels so personal.

Have you listened to any of Rob Lowe’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Unfortunately, the other title written by Rob Lowe has yet to released on Audible, but the moment is appears, I can guarantee I will be purchasing.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did shed a tear during one recount of Rob Lowe's tales. I laughed out loud on several occasions.

Any additional comments?

Even if you are not a fan of his work, this is an excellent insight of a young boy's start in the business they call show. Throughly enjoyed from chapter 1 to the end, and honestly could've listened to another 9 hours if not more! Highly recommended.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Dizzy

Brighton

10/1/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Entertaining and interesting"

What did you like most about Stories I Only Tell My Friends?

I loved the fact that it was narrated by the author himself .. I always prefer to hear the authors narrating their stories as it makes them so much more authentic.

What other book might you compare Stories I Only Tell My Friends to, and why?

Perhaps Rob Lowe's other book.. Love Life ?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could have done.. But it was also a lovely book to dip in and out of over a few weeks. I have really enjoyed this book and am sad its over.

Any additional comments?

Great writing, great narrator, Rob is a born storyteller who never fails to charm and entertain.More books please Rob !

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Countess_Dracul

UK

8/29/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"What a life!"

What made the experience of listening to Stories I Only Tell My Friends the most enjoyable?

I think it was made by the fact that Rob Lowe read it himself, it would have been odd to have someone else read it.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Some of the early audition scences were great, but probably the best was when he went to Cary Grants house.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It definitely made me laugh quite a few times

Any additional comments?

Much more interesting book then I was expecting, it sounds very like he is telling you a story which is lovely, and he really has had an interesting life. It did leave me wondering about a few things though, he doesn't paint himself as a saint but some of what happens to him especially re the West Wing seems so unfair that I wonder if some information has been left out,

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